Obama, Romney to meet at White House Thursday

November 28, 2012 @ 10:10 am


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Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will host his former political rival Mitt Romney for a private lunch at the White House Thursday, their first meeting since the election.

Obama promised in his victory speech earlier this month to engage with Romney following their bitter campaign and consider the Republican's ideas.

"In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Gov. Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward," Obama said at the time.

Obama aides said they reached out to Romney's team shortly before Thanksgiving to start working on a date for the meeting. The two men will meet in the White House's private dining room, with no press coverage expected.

In the days after his loss, Romney told top donors that the president was re-elected because of the "gifts" Obama provided to blacks, Hispanics and young voters, all of which are core Obama constituencies.

"The president's campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift," Romney said.

Many Republican officials, eager to move on quickly after the loss, disputed Romney's comments and urged the party to focus on being more inclusive.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama was looking forward to having a "useful discussion" with his former competitor. But he said there was no formal agenda for the lunch.

While in Washington, Romney will also meet with his former running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, according to a Romney campaign aide. Ryan is back on Capitol Hill, where he's involved in negotiations to avert a series of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that have come to be known as the "fiscal cliff."

Much of that debate centers on expiring tax cuts first passed by George W. Bush. Obama and Romney differed sharply during the campaign over what to do with the cuts, with the Republican pushing for them to be extended for all income earners and the president running on a pledge to let the cuts expire for families making more than $250,000 a year.

The White House sees Obama's victory as a signal that Americans support his tax proposals.

Obama and Romney's sit-down Thursday will likely be their most extensive private meeting ever. The two men had only a handful of brief exchanges before the 2012 election.

Even after their political fates became intertwined, their interactions were largely confined to the three presidential debates.

Romney has virtually disappeared from politics following his loss in the Nov. 6 election. He's spent the last three weeks largely in seclusion at his family's southern California home. He has made no public appearances, drawing media attention only after being photographed at Disneyland in addition to stops at the movies and the gym with his wife, Ann.

Former aides confirm that Romney is expected to move into an office at the Boston-area venture capital firm Solamere Capital. The firm was founded by his oldest son, Tagg Romney, and Spencer Zwick, who served as his presidential campaign's national finance chairman.

It's unclear what role, if any, Romney will play at the firm. Former aides said Romney was subletting office space from Solamere.

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Steve Peoples reported from Boston.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (15)


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  • maplefish wrote...
    Maybe Obama
    November 28, 2012 12:48 pm
    Can learn something from Romney about business. Would be cool if he appointed Romney to one of the vacancies in his new administration.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    Please, no.
    November 28, 2012 3:07 pm
    We don't need more jobs offshored to China. Nor do we need more corporations ducking their tax responsibilities (I'm looking at you, GE, Exxon-Mobil, etc,) and paying little or nothing to help with the deficit.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    mittens will come in the front door and . . . .
    November 28, 2012 6:15 pm
    dear leader Obama will show him the back door.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Ideas?
    November 28, 2012 6:44 pm
    On how to run the country? mitt lost, he should be at his gazillion $ mansion in his slippers wondering where all his money went. He is going to writing letters of apology to his donors for the next 2 years. He should write a letter of apology to the republican party and all Americans for deceiving them into thinking he could actually do the job. He would have been a colossal failure as a President, the republicans chose him because he was rich and they had nobody else. 2016 will be interesting, Hillary for President, and then another Democrat after that. Life is good.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    @longwayhome
    November 29, 2012 5:38 am
    which part of Obama's 16.4 trillion dollar debt is good? Great job Dumbocrats! Life wont be good when you start seeing those tax hikes and Obamacare fees.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Hey CH
    November 28, 2012 7:03 pm
    I have made some interesting observations over the last few months on the posting habits of our favorite posters. You know them well, they are its me, the cop, hpd, AJ and others, they all post early and usually until midday, when my guess is they have their nooner, or eye-opener, or go the local pub for their fix. They are mostly unemployed, very angry at the fact that their party lost and don't have any reason to go back to work as long as their unemployment benefits hold out. I find their posts repetitive, hugely boring and ill informed. I hope they find some reason to be optimistic about their party, but it's highly doubtful.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Oh, and did I mention
    November 28, 2012 7:08 pm
    That most alcoholics are alert until noon or so and then it's lights out. Fits our republican crew down to the last one. Unemployed alcoholics.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Santa seeks advice from Burgermeister Meisterburger?
    November 28, 2012 10:18 pm
    Note to Santa: The Elves can't produce what you promised and their Union is going on strike tomorrow as well. See you in 2016 behotch!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    You sir, are a professional at making yourself look foolish . . . .
    November 29, 2012 5:26 am
    xkop get your ASSwholeumptions out of the mirror.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    consider the Republicans ideas?
    November 29, 2012 5:38 am
    better do something because America is sinking in a sea of debt thanks to the Obama administration. It will only get worse as the govt forces us and takes away more of our choices, freedoms and liberties. No one will prosper under Obama's America...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    sick
    November 29, 2012 10:21 pm
    The U.S. was sinking in a sea of debt under Bush and you guys said very little about it. In fact, your party had no problem raising the debt ceiling under Bush. If we had The GOP in power, it would be even worse. They would be sending troops into The Middle East for more combat. McCain wanted us to put troops in Libya and wanted us to go to war with Iran. Congress has spent money on the bailouts, which Bush proposed. Remember that congress is the one that spends the money. You beloved GOP has been in control of the House for the past 2 years so if you have any current complaints about spending, they are releasing the purse strings. You might also want to see what the stock market has done since Obama entered office as far as prosperity goes. You might also try and get your party to support a comprehensive jobs bill so that more can prosper. I realize that is a tough one for them to do, after all, the last thing they want is for this president to look good. They will party before country.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hayduke wrote...
    Obama offered Mittens a job...
    November 29, 2012 8:07 pm
    As ambassador to the Caymans.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rangerhawk wrote...
    Now that's funny right there
    November 29, 2012 10:28 pm
    Dont care who you are.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }